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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cold — an illness
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cold — not warm
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. patient — a sick person

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