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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. net — after costs
  4. object — a thing
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. land — to come down
  7. net — in sport
  8. object — an aim
  9. suit — to fit
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — for catching
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. suit — in cards
  20. object — to protest
  21. drill — army training
  22. chest — of your body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ruler — for measuring

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