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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · mate · temple · cold · pop · mine · key · fine

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cold — an illness
  4. key — the most important part
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pop — soda
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mate — to breed
  11. key — in music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mate — a friend
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. mine — for digging
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pop — music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pop — to visit

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