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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. 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. spring — of water
  2. land — a country
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. march — the month
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. march — the month
  8. pound — a weight
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. charge — a price
  12. lie — to recline
  13. charge — electricity
  14. march — music
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. land — to come down
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bark — to shout
  20. object — an aim
  21. land — ground
  22. charge — in control
  23. spring — the season
  24. 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