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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cold — not warm
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mug — to rob
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. staff — a stick
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. cold — an illness
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mug — a cup
  16. staff — employees
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mug — a face
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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