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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mate — a friend
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mate — a partner
  6. current — electric
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. current — of water
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — happening now
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. staff — employees
  24. rule — a law

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