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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 116 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. charge — in control
  3. land — a country
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. root — the cause
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. land — to come down
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — the season
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. charge — a price
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — ground

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