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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mate — to breed
  5. land — to come down
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lie — to recline
  8. land — ground
  9. field — farmland
  10. row — a line
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. firm — steady
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. field — for sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mate — a friend
  22. field — a subject
  23. mate — a partner
  24. land — a country

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