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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · rush · fall · present · firm · temple · arm · staff

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. present — a gift
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — the season
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. fall — to drop
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. firm — steady
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. firm — decided
  18. rush — hurry
  19. firm — a company
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. staff — employees
  22. fall — to drop
  23. land — ground
  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