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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.

Make a worksheet

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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. land — a country
  4. mug — to rob
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. land — ground
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. kick — in football
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. land — to come down
  16. spell — letters
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spell — magic
  20. mug — a cup
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mug — a face
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. track — a path

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