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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ground — a position
  3. spell — magic
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ground — crushed
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spell — letters
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. land — to come down
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — ground
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. land — a country
  16. ground — the earth
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spell — a short time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. suit — clothes
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mine — for digging

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