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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pitch — completely
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. object — to protest
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. object — a thing
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. face — part of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bear — the animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. face — to point toward

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