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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rash — a series
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fall — the season
  9. rash — hasty
  10. land — to come down
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — to confront
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. snap — to click
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. land — ground
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bank — for money

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