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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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468
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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fine — all right
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fall — to drop
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. land — to come down
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. fine — high quality
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. fall — the season
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. land — ground
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. toast — bread

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