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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mate — a friend
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — thin
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spell — letters
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mate — to breed
  18. chip — to eat
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. spell — magic
  24. chip — for betting

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