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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.

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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. key — the most important part
  9. land — ground
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. key — in music
  19. land — to come down
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. trunk — of a tree

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