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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. spell — a short time
  3. firm — steady
  4. land — to come down
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spell — magic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. land — ground
  9. firm — decided
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. firm — a company
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. season — of the year
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. spell — letters
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. file — a document
  22. season — in sport
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. season — to add flavour

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