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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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. craft — boats
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. land — ground
  9. craft — a skill
  10. land — to come down
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. kick — in football
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mark — a trace
  21. squash — the sport
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mark — to pay attention

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