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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. current — happening now
  6. firm — decided
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mark — a grade
  9. firm — a company
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. firm — steady
  16. current — of water
  17. rock — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rock — a stone
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. current — electric

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