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

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mug — a face
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — a country
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mate — a friend
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. land — ground
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. season — in sport
  16. mate — to breed
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. season — of the year
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spell — letters
  21. chip — for betting
  22. spell — magic
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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