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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.

Make a worksheet

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: deal · fan · lie · object · racket · can · nail · cold

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. object — an aim
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cold — an illness
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — a tin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. object — a thing
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. object — to protest
  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