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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. land — a country
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. craft — boats
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. land — to come down
  7. face — to confront
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — ground
  12. fork — in a road
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pit — in a race
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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