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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. lie — to recline
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. root — of a word
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. band — a ring
  16. mate — a partner
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a music group
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cold — an illness
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bear — to put up with

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