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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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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: roll · stick · cold · board · fork · cabinet · hide · fine

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fine — all right
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. board — to get on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. board — a committee
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cold — an illness
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fork — to eat with

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