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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
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: temple · saw · land · stand · can · tear · dip · chest

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — to sink
  5. can — to be able to
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. can — a tin
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. tear — from crying
  15. land — ground
  16. chest — of your body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stand — to bear
  24. land — a country

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