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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. current — happening now
  3. ball — a great time
  4. current — electric
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. land — to come down
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rule — government
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. current — of water
  15. kick — in football
  16. rock — music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rule — a law
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. land — ground
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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