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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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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: temple · bear · sharp · cold · game · perch · stick · stand

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bear — the animal
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bear — the animal
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — to bear
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cold — not warm
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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