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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. land — a country
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. land — ground
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pass — a permit
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spring — of water
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. spring — the season
  17. rule — a law
  18. land — to come down
  19. rule — government
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. spring — a coil
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ruler — for measuring

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