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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. staff — a stick
  3. can — to be able to
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — decided
  12. land — ground
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. can — a tin
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — to come down
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get 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