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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. scale — size or range
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. land — ground
  5. lean — thin
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. net — for catching
  9. rash — hasty
  10. net — in sport
  11. roll — a list
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — after costs
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. roll — a cake
  17. land — to come down
  18. scale — in music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lean — to bend
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. land — a country
  24. coach — a trainer

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