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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. chip — to eat
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mate — a partner
  16. spring — the season
  17. rash — a series
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rash — hasty

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