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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · file · season · temple · dip · board · craft · cold

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. file — a document
  4. cold — an illness
  5. craft — boats
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mark — a trace
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. board — to get on
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. board — a committee
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. season — in sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. season — of the year
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. file — a line of people
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mark — a grade
  23. dip — to sink
  24. file — a tool

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