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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. staff — a stick
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. land — to come down
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — to grow
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — employees
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. staff — employees
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pit — a hole
  21. hand — help
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hand — in cards
  24. land — ground

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