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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pass — a permit
  3. spell — magic
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. last — finally
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spell — letters
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. firm — steady
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. land — to come down
  14. firm — a company
  15. mug — a cup
  16. land — ground
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. spell — a short time
  19. last — final
  20. firm — decided
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. last — to go on

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