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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. firm — steady
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. firm — a company
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. land — ground
  10. saw — the tool
  11. roll — a cake
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. roll — a list
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. land — to come down
  24. firm — decided

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