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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. land — ground
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. squash — the sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. row — a line
  12. rash — a series
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. land — to come down
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rash — hasty
  24. row — to paddle

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