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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. land — ground
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rash — a series
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. land — to come down
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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