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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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Word bank
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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: tube · wound · rash · rock · land · object · suit · chair

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rash — hasty
  4. object — an aim
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. tube — a container
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. land — ground
  11. rash — a series
  12. object — to protest
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wound — an injury
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rock — music
  20. land — to come down
  21. object — a thing
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rock — a stone
  24. suit — in cards

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