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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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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: cell · rule · mark · pit · squash · temple · current · hand

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

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. current — happening now
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rule — government
  10. hand — help
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. squash — to crush
  14. current — electric
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. current — of water
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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