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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fall — the season
  5. root — of a word
  6. mug — a face
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. season — of the year
  11. mug — to rob
  12. root — of a plant
  13. land — to come down
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. land — ground
  19. cell — in biology
  20. root — the cause
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cell — a phone

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