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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fine — all right
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. land — to come down
  7. fine — high quality
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bound — certain
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chest — a box
  14. suit — to fit
  15. land — a country
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. chest — of your body
  19. suit — clothes
  20. chest — of your body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bound — obliged

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