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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · ground · row · object · land · straw · deal · pass

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ground — a position
  5. row — to paddle
  6. object — to protest
  7. land — ground
  8. object — a thing
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. object — an aim
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rest — a break
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. row — a line
  20. pass — a permit
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. land — to come down
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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