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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. land — a country
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. land — ground
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. land — to come down
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. straw — dry grass

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