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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 124 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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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 · dip · stand · key · stick · nail · suit · squash

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. squash — the sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. squash — to crush
  11. suit — to fit
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stand — to bear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cold — not warm
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. suit — clothes
  21. key — the most important part
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. key — in music

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