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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: wind · cabinet · jam · lie · nail · cold · deal · march

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. march — the month
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cold — an illness
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cold — not warm
  10. march — the month
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — to recline
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. march — music
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wind — moving air

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