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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. land — ground
  6. face — to confront
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. face — part of the head
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. craft — boats
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cue — a hint
  18. land — to come down
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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