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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. firm — a company
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. land — ground
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fall — the season
  17. row — a line
  18. land — a country
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. kick — in football
  22. chip — for betting
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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