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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. land — a country
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cap — a hat
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. cap — of ice
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cap — a lid
  13. staff — employees
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. staff — employees
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. lean — to bend
  22. land — ground
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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