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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lean — thin
  4. object — an aim
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. land — ground
  10. object — a thing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. object — to protest
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ball — a dance
  22. land — to come down
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. can — a tin

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