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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. can — a tin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rest — a break
  6. can — a tin
  7. land — ground
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. file — a line of people
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bank — for money
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rest — what's left

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