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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rock — music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fall — the season
  10. rock — a stone
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. chip — to eat
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. craft — a skill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. craft — boats
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — for a hammer

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