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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. season — in sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. land — to come down
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — a country
  15. rule — a law
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rule — government

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