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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cold — not warm
  4. land — ground
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cold — an illness
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. object — an aim
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. land — to come down
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fine — all right
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. track — a song
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. land — a country
  23. track — a path
  24. fine — high quality

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