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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bat — the animal
  10. snap — to click
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. can — a tin
  13. vault — a safe
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. land — to come down
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. land — ground
  21. season — of the year
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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