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

Word bank: file · kid · rule · perch · staff · game · temple · hide

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. file — a line of people
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rule — government
  11. staff — a stick
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. file — a tool
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. staff — employees
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rule — a law
  18. game — a match
  19. perch — the fish
  20. file — a document
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. game — wild animals
  23. kid — child
  24. temple — a place of worship

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