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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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 — ground
  2. land — to come down
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tube — a container
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fine — all right
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. land — a country
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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