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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. file — a document
  9. staff — employees
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bat — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. roll — a cake
  14. suit — clothes
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. staff — a stick
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. file — a tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. roll — a list
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bat — in an idiom

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