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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. roll — a cake
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mate — a partner
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rule — government
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rule — a law
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. roll — a list
  24. rule — to rule out

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