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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. land — a country
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — thin
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. land — to come down
  15. cue — a hint
  16. firm — a company
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. firm — decided
  19. cell — in biology
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. firm — steady
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cell — a phone
  24. jam — in traffic

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