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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. object — an aim
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — to come down
  11. object — to protest
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — ground
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cold — an illness
  19. land — a country
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. object — a thing
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cold — the Cold War

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