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

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cold — not warm
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cap — a hat
  6. drill — army training
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. capital — money
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. drill — a practice
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. bear — the animal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. object — a thing
  22. cap — of ice
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. object — to protest

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