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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rule — government
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pound — a weight
  11. land — a country
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. land — ground
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rule — a law
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. track — a song
  24. leaves — of a tree

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