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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cap — a lid
  3. land — ground
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. snap — to click
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chest — a box
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — of your body
  21. land — to come down
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fine — all right
  24. hide — to keep secret

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