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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bound — certain
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. land — ground
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pass — a permit
  11. land — to come down
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pit — in a race
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bay — a horse colour

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