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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lean — thin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. last — to go on
  11. ball — a dance
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ball — a great time
  14. last — finally
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chest — of your body
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. land — ground
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. last — final
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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