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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. land — a country
  12. fall — the season
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — to drop

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