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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 124 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cold — not warm
  4. object — a thing
  5. fall — the season
  6. object — an aim
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. object — to protest
  12. cold — an illness
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. temple — side of the head

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