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

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. key — for a lock
  3. march — the month
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rule — a law
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitch — completely
  10. key — in music
  11. spell — letters
  12. key — the most important part
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rule — government
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spell — magic
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. temple — side of the head

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