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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. mug — a cup
  3. staff — a stick
  4. file — a tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. last — finally
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. last — final
  11. staff — employees
  12. file — a line of people
  13. can — a tin
  14. mug — a face
  15. land — to come down
  16. last — to go on
  17. roll — a cake
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. file — a document
  22. roll — a list
  23. can — a tin
  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