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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. spell — magic
  4. cue — a signal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. spring — of water
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. firm — steady
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. drill — army training
  18. land — to come down
  19. spring — the season
  20. firm — decided
  21. wake — a trail
  22. drill — the tool
  23. spell — letters
  24. firm — a company

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