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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. land — a country
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. land — to come down
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. land — ground
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rule — a law
  13. mark — a trace
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bass — low music
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rule — government
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rule — to rule out

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