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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: board · cold · wake · temple · deal · last · key · rock

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rock — music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. board — to get on
  8. last — finally
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cold — not warm
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. key — the most important part
  15. last — to go on
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. deal — to handle
  19. key — in music
  20. cold — an illness
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. board — a committee
  23. rock — a stone
  24. last — final

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