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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. hand — help
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hand — in cards
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rule — government
  10. mug — a face
  11. bore — to drill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rule — a law
  14. file — a tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. file — a document
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bore — to tire
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mug — a cup

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