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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. net — for catching
  9. court — of a king
  10. land — a country
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. court — of law
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — in sport
  17. court — for sport
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. land — ground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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