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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. land — a country
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rash — a series
  5. land — ground
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. land — to come down
  18. charge — electricity
  19. shower — rain
  20. charge — a price
  21. wind — moving air
  22. charge — in control
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wind — moving air

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