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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rest — a break
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fall — the season
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. last — final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. press — to push
  14. last — finally
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. last — to go on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rest — what's left
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fall — to drop
  24. press — newspapers

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