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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. fine — high quality
  6. suit — to fit
  7. degree — from a university
  8. dip — to sink
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fine — all right
  20. degree — an amount
  21. board — to get on
  22. cold — not warm
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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