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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. rash — a series
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. face — to point toward
  9. land — to come down
  10. spring — of water
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. land — ground
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. kid — child
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. face — to confront
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — hasty

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