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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. land — to come down
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — a law
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. can — to be able to
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rule — government
  17. can — a tin
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. spell — magic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. squash — to crush
  22. lean — thin
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lean — to bend

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