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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. land — a country
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. row — a line
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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