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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. current — happening now
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. vault — a safe
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. current — electric
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. current — of water
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. sharp — clever
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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