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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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. object — a thing
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. vault — a safe
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. root — the cause
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stock — goods
  12. land — ground
  13. root — of a word
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. dip — to sink
  16. object — an aim
  17. stock — shares
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. root — of a plant
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. face — to confront
  24. object — to protest

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