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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bass — the fish
  5. current — electric
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cold — an illness
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. current — of water
  18. cold — not warm
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mine — for digging
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. current — happening now

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