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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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · bear · rest · pop · cold · pitcher · fine · object

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fine — all right
  7. object — a thing
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pop — soda
  15. bear — the animal
  16. object — an aim
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. rest — a break
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. object — to protest
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rest — what's left

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