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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. land — a country
  3. rest — what's left
  4. face — to confront
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. can — a tin
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. can — a tin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — the season
  14. tube — a container
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rest — what's left
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rest — a break
  21. tube — the underground
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. spring — a coil

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