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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. game — a match
  3. land — ground
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — final
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. last — finally
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. land — a country
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. last — to go on
  24. game — wild animals

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