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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
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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: fall · temple · bear · rash · cold · can · safe · object

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rash — hasty
  8. fall — the season
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. object — to protest
  23. can — a tin
  24. temple — side of the head

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