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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. land — to come down
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. land — a country
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. chest — a box
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. land — ground

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