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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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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: present · key · mark · suit · bat · temple · cold · row

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. present — the time now
  4. row — to paddle
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. suit — to fit
  7. present — there
  8. key — the most important part
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bat — the animal
  12. key — in music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mark — a grade
  18. present — a gift
  19. key — for a lock
  20. suit — clothes
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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