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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. land — to come down
  5. key — for a lock
  6. face — part of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. land — ground
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. land — a country
  14. key — in music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. key — the most important part
  17. shower — rain
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. face — to confront
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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