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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. spell — magic
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mark — a grade
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — letters
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — an aim
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. object — to protest
  20. mark — a trace
  21. object — a thing
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. temple — a place of worship

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