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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wake — a trail
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rule — government
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. scale — in music
  18. temple — a place of worship

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