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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fall — to drop
  3. land — to come down
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mug — a cup
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. land — ground
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pop — soda
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pop — to visit
  12. swing — to play on
  13. fall — to drop
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pop — music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. fall — the season
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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