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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cold — an illness
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chair — a leader
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. root — of a word
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. root — the cause
  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