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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · temple · jam · present · straw · cell · ruler · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cell — a phone
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. land — ground
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. land — to come down
  15. fine — all right
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cell — in biology
  20. present — the time now
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. jam — a tight spot

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