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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. season — of the year
  5. kick — in football
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. file — a document
  13. cue — a signal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. file — a tool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cue — for pool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chip — for betting
  22. season — in sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cue — a hint

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