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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 120 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 has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. land — ground
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. band — a ring
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. land — a country
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. current — electric
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. land — to come down

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