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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. land — ground
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — the amount
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. content — happy
  10. land — to come down
  11. press — newspapers
  12. root — the cause
  13. press — a publisher
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — to push
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. charge — a price
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. temple — side of the head

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