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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. land — a country
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mate — a friend
  5. can — a tin
  6. swing — to play on
  7. land — ground
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. can — a tin
  10. present — a gift
  11. land — to come down
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. present — the time now
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hand — help
  20. mate — a partner
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. present — there
  24. safe — out of danger

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