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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mate — a partner
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cue — a signal
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cold — an illness
  11. track — a path
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mate — a friend
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. firm — a company
  18. cue — for pool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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