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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. net — for catching
  4. pop — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. branch — a division
  7. rule — a law
  8. staff — employees
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pop — to visit
  14. staff — employees
  15. net — in sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. saw — the tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. net — after costs
  20. pop — soda
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — hurry
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. staff — a stick

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