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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. land — to come down
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. land — ground
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bore — to drill
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. track — to keep track
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. land — a country
  17. track — a path
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — a song
  24. cap — a lid

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