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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: cold · racket · dip · rush · stick · stem · temple · bay

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cold — an illness
  13. rush — hurry
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. rush — to hurry

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