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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 124 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. land — to come down
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wax — to grow
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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