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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. land — a country
  3. saw — the tool
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. land — ground
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. face — to confront
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. land — to come down
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. face — part of the head
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stand — for spectators

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