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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mug — a face
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cold — an illness
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rash — a series
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mug — a cup
  24. temple — side of the head

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