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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. land — a country
  4. mate — a friend
  5. craft — boats
  6. track — a song
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. track — a path
  10. craft — a skill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mate — a partner
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. track — to keep track
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mate — to breed
  24. land — to come down

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