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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. game — wild animals
  3. land — ground
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. last — finally
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. shower — to wash
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. last — to go on
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. last — final
  23. game — a match
  24. stand — on your feet

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