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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spell — letters
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. tube — the underground
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. land — to come down
  23. tube — a container
  24. fall — to drop

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