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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fine — all right
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. degree — from a university
  5. kid — to tease
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. land — ground
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. land — a country
  22. board — to get on
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. degree — temperature

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