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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fine · trunk · net · dip · key · cap · saw

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cold — an illness
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. key — for a lock
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. key — in music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cap — of ice
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. fine — all right
  16. net — after costs
  17. dip — to sink
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cap — a lid
  21. net — for catching
  22. cap — a hat
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fine — a penalty

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