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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. ruler — for measuring
  3. last — finally
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — to protest
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — an aim
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. object — a thing
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. land — to come down
  20. tear — to rip
  21. last — to go on
  22. tear — from crying
  23. last — final
  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