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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. firm — a company
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pass — a permit
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rule — a law
  8. rest — a break
  9. file — a tool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. staff — employees
  13. rest — what's left
  14. firm — steady
  15. rest — what's left
  16. staff — employees
  17. file — a document
  18. firm — decided
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rule — government
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — to spend time

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