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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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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: mine · leaves · rule · chip · temple · pit · lie · hand

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mine — for digging
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chip — for betting
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rule — government
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rule — a law
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. hand — help

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