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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. track — a path
  6. present — a gift
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. present — the time now
  9. firm — steady
  10. wound — an injury
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — a break
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — to keep track
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. present — there
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. track — a song
  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