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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. fine — high quality
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rule — government
  15. last — to go on
  16. fine — all right
  17. last — finally
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mine — for digging
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. last — final
  24. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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