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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. march — the month
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. march — music
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. land — ground
  13. game — wild animals
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. chip — to eat
  16. land — to come down
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. face — to confront
  19. march — the month
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. face — part of the head
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. game — a match
  24. chip — for betting

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