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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. shower — rain
  3. fine — all right
  4. bulb — for light
  5. land — to come down
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lean — thin
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lean — to bend
  16. land — ground
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fine — high quality

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