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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. dip — to sink
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. land — ground
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. land — to come down
  24. arm — part of the body

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