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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cold — not warm
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cold — an illness
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cap — of ice
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. season — of the year
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mug — a cup
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mug — a face
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cap — a lid

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