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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lean — thin
  3. land — to come down
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. land — a country
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wind — moving air

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