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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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 — a country
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pit — a hole
  5. charge — in control
  6. land — ground
  7. board — a committee
  8. pit — in a race
  9. shower — rain
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rock — music
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. shower — to wash
  17. dip — to sink
  18. charge — a price
  19. rock — a stone
  20. board — to get on
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. dip — a sauce
  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