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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. land — ground
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. kick — in football
  13. rest — a break
  14. scale — size or range
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. foot — a measure
  19. scale — in music
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. land — to come down
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wave — with your hand

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