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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · rule · mark · pit · squash · temple

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rule — a law
  4. squash — the sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mark — a grade
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mark — a trace
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rule — government

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