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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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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: can · cap · board · temple · court · mouse · cold · tear

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tear — to rip
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. board — to get on
  21. court — for sport
  22. cold — an illness
  23. can — to be able to
  24. temple — a place of worship

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