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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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