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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. land — a country
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. track — a path
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. track — to keep track
  16. spring — the season
  17. suit — to fit
  18. track — a song
  19. land — ground
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. land — to come down
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wind — to turn a key

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