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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — government
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — what's left
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. present — a gift
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. land — a country
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rule — a law
  16. perch — the fish
  17. present — there
  18. rest — a break
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. present — the time now
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — what's left
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. land — to come down

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