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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. land — ground
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. land — a country
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pop — to visit
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pop — soda
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pop — music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rest — what's left
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. land — to come down
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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