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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — not warm
  8. rule — a law
  9. face — to confront
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. face — part of the head
  13. land — ground
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. land — to come down
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rule — government

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