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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. present — a gift
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. hand — in cards
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. land — ground
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. season — of the year
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hand — help
  21. toast — bread
  22. present — there
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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