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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rash — a series
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. land — a country
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. roll — a list
  14. fine — high quality
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fine — all right
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. land — ground
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. land — to come down
  24. stand — to bear

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