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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.

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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. craft — boats
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spring — the season
  7. mug — to rob
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. lie — to recline
  15. land — to come down
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spring — of water
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. craft — a skill
  22. land — ground
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mug — a face

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