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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — a country
  4. bound — certain
  5. rock — music
  6. ground — a position
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. land — to come down
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ground — crushed
  21. land — ground
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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