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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rule — a law
  8. land — ground
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rule — government
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. object — a thing
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — to be able to
  18. object — an aim
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. land — to come down
  21. can — a tin
  22. object — to protest
  23. sharp — clever
  24. can — a tin

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