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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: cold · net · temple · hand · track · suit · stand · cabinet

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. suit — to fit
  5. track — a song
  6. suit — clothes
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hand — help
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — for catching
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cold — not warm
  16. track — a path
  17. net — in sport
  18. stand — to bear
  19. net — after costs
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cold — an illness
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hand — 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