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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — thin
  10. bound — certain
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lean — to bend
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitcher — a jug

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