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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. land — a country
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. chest — a box
  7. face — part of the head
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chest — of your body
  16. face — to confront
  17. bear — the animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — rain
  21. rash — a series
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. shower — to wash

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