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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cap — of ice
  4. spring — of water
  5. mate — a friend
  6. spring — a coil
  7. land — to come down
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a hat
  10. spring — the season
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. object — an aim
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cap — a lid
  17. object — a thing
  18. tube — a container
  19. land — ground
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. object — to protest
  24. tube — in a tire

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