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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mug — a cup
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mug — a face
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. spell — magic
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spell — letters
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. chip — for betting
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rule — a law
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. file — a document

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