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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bat — the animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. fine — all right
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fine — high quality
  23. row — a line
  24. land — ground

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