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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. spell — letters
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — government
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rock — a stone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rule — a law
  11. spell — magic
  12. mark — a trace
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pass — a permit
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. file — a document
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rock — music
  23. file — a tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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