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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: dip · game · saw · temple · cold · march · foot · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cold — an illness
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. dip — to sink
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cold — not warm
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. march — the month
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. march — music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. foot — a measure
  21. game — wild animals
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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