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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. game — wild animals
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. land — ground
  10. bound — certain
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bound — tied together
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ground — the earth
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — a match
  17. land — a country
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bound — obliged
  20. row — a line
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. land — to come down
  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