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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a ring
  6. fine — all right
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — thin
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. band — a music group
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lean — to bend
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fine — high quality
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mine — belonging to me

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