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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rest — what's left
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mate — a partner
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. net — in sport
  13. spring — the season
  14. net — after costs
  15. spring — of water
  16. rule — a law
  17. rest — a break
  18. net — for catching
  19. mate — a friend
  20. current — happening now
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mate — to breed
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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