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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. file — a document
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. root — the cause
  7. court — of a king
  8. bound — certain
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lie — to recline
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. file — a tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. file — a line of people
  19. court — of law
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. root — of a word
  23. bound — tied together
  24. court — for sport

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