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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: rush · mate · cell · temple · mouse · dip · face · file

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cell — a phone
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. dip — to sink
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. face — to confront
  24. mate — to breed

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