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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tube — a container
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mark — a grade
  14. land — to come down
  15. lean — thin
  16. snap — to click
  17. land — ground
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. tube — the underground
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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