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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stock — shares
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stock — goods
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mug — a face
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stand — to bear
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — to trim

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