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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. staff — employees
  3. rule — government
  4. spring — of water
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. perch — the fish
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rule — a law
  14. land — to come down
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. kick — in football
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to click
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spring — the season
  24. land — ground

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