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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. spell — magic
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spell — letters
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — a country
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rock — music
  15. land — to come down
  16. spell — a short time
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. shower — rain

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