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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. land — a country
  5. swing — in golf
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. swing — to play on
  8. land — ground
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hand — help
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bear — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rush — hurry
  19. swing — music
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pit — in a race

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