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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bear — the animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. roll — a list
  8. land — a country
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mark — a grade
  15. land — to come down
  16. mark — a trace
  17. land — ground
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bear — to put up with

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