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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. court — for sport
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cold — not warm
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. snap — to click
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tear — from crying
  15. court — of a king
  16. ball — a dance
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. tear — to rip
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. court — of law
  24. tear — from crying

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