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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cold — not warm
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spell — letters
  8. row — to paddle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cold — an illness
  22. row — a line
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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