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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — ground
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rush — hurry
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. key — the most important part
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. land — to come down
  16. content — happy
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. saw — the tool
  20. key — in music
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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