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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.

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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. land — ground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. land — to come down
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bear — to put up with

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