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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rule — government
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rule — a law
  9. rock — music
  10. cold — not warm
  11. current — happening now
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. current — electric
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rock — a stone
  21. current — of water
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rock — to move gently

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