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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. band — a ring
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. land — a country
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. land — ground
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. land — to come down
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. band — a music group
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. saw — the tool
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. foot — part of the body

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