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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.

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: cold · fall · mug · calf · bear · game · fine · temple

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. game — a match
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. game — wild animals
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fine — all right
  11. fall — to drop
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fall — the season
  23. mug — a face
  24. calf — a young animal

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