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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. track — a song
  3. bore — to drill
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wax — to grow
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. board — a committee
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cold — an illness
  18. board — to get on
  19. track — a path
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rash — a series
  24. temple — a place of worship

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