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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. charge — electricity
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — to protest
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pop — music
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pop — soda
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. charge — a price
  19. land — ground
  20. face — to confront
  21. charge — in control
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. land — to come down

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