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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. land — to come down
  2. game — wild animals
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bound — tied together
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wind — moving air
  15. land — ground
  16. game — a match
  17. sharp — clever
  18. land — a country
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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