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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. can — to be able to
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spring — of water
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. land — ground
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — the season
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. toast — bread

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