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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. spell — a short time
  3. land — to come down
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pit — in a race
  6. snap — to click
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. land — ground
  18. cell — in biology
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. spell — magic
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. spell — letters
  24. bay — a horse colour

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