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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.

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: track · dip · cold · mate · bowl · temple · season · plane

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. track — a song
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. track — to keep track
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cold — not warm
  16. track — a path
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cold — an illness
  21. season — of the year
  22. mate — a friend
  23. season — in sport
  24. plane — an aircraft

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