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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rush — hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. board — to get on
  5. land — ground
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pop — soda
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pop — to visit
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. land — a country
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. can — a tin
  23. pop — music
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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