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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 120 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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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 · cap · nail · lie · fan · fork · stick · plane

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — of ice
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lie — to recline
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cold — not warm
  9. fork — in a road
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cold — an illness
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — an aircraft

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