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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cell — in biology
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cell — a phone
  16. land — a country
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. deal — to handle
  24. shower — rain

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