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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mug — a cup
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. mug — a face
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. sharp — clever
  10. root — of a word
  11. mate — a friend
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rash — a series
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. tube — the underground
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mug — to rob
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. root — the cause
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rash — hasty

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