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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spring — of water
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cell — a phone
  12. craft — boats
  13. cell — in biology
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spring — a coil
  16. hand — in cards
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — the season

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