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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. land — a country
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. lean — to bend
  5. track — to keep track
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. game — a match
  8. land — ground
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lean — thin
  11. track — a path
  12. suit — to fit
  13. land — to come down
  14. season — of the year
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rest — a break
  22. game — wild animals
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rest — what's left

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