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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.

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468
Word bank
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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. swing — to play on
  3. toast — bread
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. swing — in golf
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. charge — a price
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. file — a line of people
  13. kick — in football
  14. file — a tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — in control
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. swing — music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. 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