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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. object — a thing
  4. cold — not warm
  5. object — to protest
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fine — high quality
  8. land — ground
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tube — a container
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pop — soda
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. object — an aim
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pop — music
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rule — government
  22. cold — an illness
  23. fine — all right
  24. cold — the Cold War

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