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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fine — all right
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. land — ground
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cold — not warm
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. press — to push
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. land — to come down
  24. press — a publisher

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