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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. staff — employees
  9. shower — rain
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pass — a permit
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. last — to go on
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. land — ground
  18. last — finally
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. last — final

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