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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pass — a permit
  3. land — a country
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pit — a hole
  10. land — ground
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. land — to come down
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pit — in a race
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. deal — an agreement

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