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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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Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. file — a line of people
  4. face — part of the head
  5. file — a document
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. mug — a face
  10. spell — magic
  11. ground — a position
  12. mug — a cup
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ground — the earth
  15. squash — to crush
  16. staff — employees
  17. file — a tool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. face — to confront
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. squash — the sport
  24. ground — crushed

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