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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. object — an aim
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. object — to protest
  10. row — to paddle
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — a line
  13. ground — a position
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stand — to bear
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ground — the earth
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. object — a thing

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