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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 124 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fall — to drop
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. current — electric
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. game — wild animals
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. current — happening now
  18. game — a match
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fall — the season
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fall — to drop

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