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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 120 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bound — tied together
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. chip — to eat
  7. hand — in cards
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bound — certain
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bound — obliged
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — to come down
  20. hand — help
  21. face — part of the head
  22. land — ground
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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