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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. present — the time now
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. present — a gift
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. present — there
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. ball — a great time
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. ball — a dance
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cold — an illness

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