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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — an aim
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. land — a country
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. land — ground
  16. can — a tin
  17. object — a thing
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. shower — rain
  21. object — to protest
  22. mine — for digging
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. land — to come down

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