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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rule — government
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. kick — in football
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pass — a permit
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. drill — army training
  14. present — there
  15. drill — the tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. drill — a practice
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. present — a gift
  24. kick — with a leg

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