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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. prune — to trim
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stock — shares
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stock — goods
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tear — from crying
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — to trim
  22. tear — from crying
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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