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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. present — the time now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. present — there
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. land — a country
  11. cap — a hat
  12. land — ground
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. present — a gift
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — crushed
  19. land — to come down
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cap — a lid
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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