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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. shower — to wash
  3. object — a thing
  4. staff — employees
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. object — an aim
  7. land — to come down
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. shower — rain
  10. deal — to handle
  11. plane — a tool
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. staff — a stick
  15. object — to protest
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stand — to bear
  21. land — ground
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. staff — employees
  24. land — a country

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