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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wound — an injury
  4. staff — employees
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. present — there
  7. wound — an injury
  8. foot — a measure
  9. present — a gift
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. bore — to drill
  14. face — to point toward
  15. staff — employees
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. face — to confront
  21. cap — a lid
  22. face — part of the head
  23. present — the time now
  24. staff — a stick

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