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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. land — a country
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mate — a partner
  6. land — to come down
  7. key — for a lock
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. craft — boats
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. temple — a place of worship

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