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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ball — a dance
  5. toast — bread
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. land — to come down
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. can — to be able to
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. drill — army training
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rule — a law
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rule — government
  24. wave — of the sea

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