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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cold — an illness
  4. prune — to trim
  5. court — of a king
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fall — the season
  9. dip — to sink
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cold — not warm
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. court — for sport
  15. fall — to drop
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mug — a face
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of law
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. dip — a sauce

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