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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. land — to come down
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. vault — a safe
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. land — ground
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — for digging
  24. patient — a sick person

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