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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. drill — army training
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mate — a partner
  11. chest — of your body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — soda
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pop — music
  18. cold — an illness
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cold — not warm
  22. chest — a box
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pop — to visit

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