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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — a practice
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. staff — employees
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. land — to come down
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cold — an illness
  12. rule — government
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. land — ground
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cold — not warm
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. drill — army training
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rule — a law
  24. drill — the tool

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