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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 · staff · wake · mark · land · temple · game · chest

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. game — wild animals
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mark — a trace
  7. staff — employees
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. staff — employees
  14. land — a country
  15. game — a match
  16. fine — all right
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fine — high quality

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