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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rock — music
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — a practice
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. drill — the tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rock — a stone
  17. drill — army training
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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