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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.

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: cap · hide · cold · temple · track · nail · drill · hand

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. drill — army training
  6. cap — of ice
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cap — a hat
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cold — an illness
  15. track — a path
  16. hand — in cards
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. track — a song
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cold — not warm
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. temple — side of the head

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