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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cold — an illness
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — a grade

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