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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lean — thin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. land — ground
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. rock — a stone
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stand — to bear
  18. kick — in football
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. land — to come down

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