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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. file — a document
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. charge — a price
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. file — a tool
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mine — for digging
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. suit — to fit
  20. charge — electricity
  21. file — a line of people
  22. charge — in control
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. suit — in cards

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