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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. root — the cause
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — to come down
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. root — of a word
  22. chip — for betting
  23. root — of a plant
  24. can — a tin

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