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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mate — a friend
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. race — the arms race
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — a contest
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. race — humankind
  22. file — a tool
  23. temple — side of the head
  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