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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. land — to come down
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. band — a ring
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. land — a country
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. board — to get on
  11. fine — all right
  12. board — a committee
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rash — a series
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. band — a music group
  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