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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cold · content · fine · bulb · stand · ruler · lie · nail

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fine — all right
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lie — to recline
  11. content — the amount
  12. fine — high quality
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com