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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. net — for catching
  7. land — ground
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bear — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — a country
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cell — a phone
  19. net — after costs
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pit — in a race
  23. net — in sport
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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