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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
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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: cold · dip · object · net · game · stick · temple · file

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. net — in sport
  3. dip — to sink
  4. file — a line of people
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. net — for catching
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. net — after costs
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cold — an illness
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cold — not warm
  16. object — to protest
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. object — a thing
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. file — a tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. game — a match
  23. object — an aim
  24. file — a document

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