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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. spell — a short time
  3. land — a country
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stand — to bear
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — letters
  10. fall — the season
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — magic
  15. fall — to drop
  16. land — ground
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — to come down
  24. mark — a trace

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