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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pit — a hole
  3. charge — electricity
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. land — ground
  11. lean — thin
  12. firm — a company
  13. charge — a price
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. lean — to bend
  19. land — to come down
  20. pit — in a race
  21. shower — rain
  22. wake — a trail
  23. charge — in control
  24. shower — to wash

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