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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. object — an aim
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. root — of a plant
  5. object — a thing
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. land — to come down
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. present — the time now
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. land — ground
  15. wound — an injury
  16. object — to protest
  17. band — a music group
  18. root — of a word
  19. band — a ring
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. root — the cause
  24. mug — to rob

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