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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bass — low music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. land — to come down
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bass — the fish
  20. land — a country
  21. rash — a series
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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