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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. clip — to cut
  3. roll — a cake
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. firm — a company
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. clip — for paper
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. roll — a list
  10. clip — a video
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tube — a container
  13. land — ground
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. land — to come down
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. firm — decided
  19. tube — the underground
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. firm — steady
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. arm — part of the body

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