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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cap — a lid
  6. land — a country
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wake — a trail
  10. field — for sport
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. fork — in a road
  16. land — to come down
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rest — a break
  23. cap — of ice
  24. land — ground

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