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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — of water
  3. lie — to recline
  4. land — ground
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — to come down
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stock — shares
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. march — the month
  13. current — happening now
  14. bore — to drill
  15. land — a country
  16. stock — goods
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. march — music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. current — electric
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lie — an untruth

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