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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. nail — on a finger
  3. land — ground
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — to play on
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. toast — bread
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. craft — boats
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. swing — music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. swing — in golf
  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