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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rock — music
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. file — a tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. land — to come down
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. file — a document
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. press — a publisher
  20. land — ground
  21. stand — to bear
  22. press — to push
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cabinet — ministers

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