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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. land — ground
  11. firm — steady
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — to come down
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — a weight
  17. land — a country
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mine — for digging
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. hide — to keep secret

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