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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 water is too ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bass — low music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bass — the fish
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. craft — boats
  23. cold — an illness
  24. craft — a handicraft

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