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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. land — ground
  3. mark — a trace
  4. land — a country
  5. spring — the season
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rush — hurry
  12. scale — size or range
  13. spring — of water
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. land — to come down
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. scale — in music
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mark — a grade

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