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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cue — a hint
  4. land — ground
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. land — to come down
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ground — a position
  13. lean — thin
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mug — a face
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mug — to rob
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mug — a cup

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