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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lie — to recline
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bat — the animal
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stand — to bear
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. drill — the tool
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. degree — from a university
  21. drill — army training
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. land — ground

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