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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rash — a series
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. land — ground
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rest — a break
  11. shower — rain
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. present — a gift
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — for light
  20. present — there
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. present — the time now
  24. bulb — for light

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