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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. land — a country
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. game — a match
  8. object — to protest
  9. land — to come down
  10. capital — a city
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. capital — money
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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