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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. shower — rain
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. staff — employees
  8. mate — a partner
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stock — goods
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. land — to come down
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mate — to breed
  19. drill — army training
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stock — shares
  23. mate — a friend
  24. land — ground

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