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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 · cap · net · lie · sharp · cabinet · firm · saw

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. firm — steady
  15. net — in sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lie — to recline
  19. firm — a company
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. firm — decided

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