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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. land — ground
  3. band — a ring
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chip — for betting
  7. land — to come down
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rest — what's left
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. band — a music group
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rest — a break
  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