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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cap — a lid
  5. hand — help
  6. cell — a phone
  7. land — ground
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fine — all right
  12. land — to come down
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth

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