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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cap — a hat
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. firm — steady
  7. board — a committee
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cap — a lid
  10. squash — the sport
  11. shower — rain
  12. cold — not warm
  13. squash — to crush
  14. stand — to bear
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cap — of ice
  18. shower — to wash
  19. firm — decided
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. firm — a company

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