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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rest — a break
  7. fall — to drop
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — thin
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fall — the season
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. charge — a price
  17. fall — to drop
  18. face — to point toward
  19. charge — in control
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. charge — electricity
  22. land — to come down
  23. face — to confront
  24. rest — what's left

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