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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. staff — a stick
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. staff — employees
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ball — a great time
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rush — hurry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. suit — to fit
  24. staff — employees

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