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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. vault — a safe
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. field — for sport
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. land — to come down
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. field — farmland
  19. land — ground
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. field — a subject
  24. ruler — for measuring

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