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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. land — ground
  13. drill — army training
  14. bulb — for light
  15. craft — boats
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cell — a phone
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stand — to bear
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. land — to come down

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