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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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 — an illness
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. fall — to drop
  4. toast — bread
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. net — for catching
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. land — to come down
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cue — a signal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. net — after costs
  13. cue — for pool
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. land — ground
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fall — the season
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. land — a country
  21. net — in sport
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cue — a hint
  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