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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. land — a country
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. shower — rain
  7. mug — to rob
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. file — a line of people
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kick — in football
  14. mug — a face
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. land — ground
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. face — to confront
  21. land — to come down
  22. file — a document
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mate — a friend

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