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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. last — finally
  4. spell — magic
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mug — a face
  10. net — after costs
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — final
  13. spring — of water
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. net — for catching
  21. spell — letters
  22. spring — a coil
  23. net — in sport
  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