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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 · temple · stick · foot · rash · pit · current · swing

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rash — hasty
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. current — happening now
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cold — an illness
  8. pit — in a race
  9. current — electric
  10. swing — in golf
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. current — of water
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cold — not warm
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rash — a series
  21. swing — music
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. foot — part of the body

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