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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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. mine — an explosive
  4. cold — not warm
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. key — in music
  13. file — a line of people
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mine — for digging
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. snap — to click
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cold — an illness
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. key — the most important part

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