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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. land — to come down
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tear — to rip
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stand — to bear
  10. land — a country
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stock — goods
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stock — shares
  23. tear — from crying
  24. safe — out of danger

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