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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. tube — the underground
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cap — a hat
  5. present — a gift
  6. land — ground
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. land — a country
  14. mark — a trace
  15. present — the time now
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. present — there
  20. row — to paddle
  21. tube — a container
  22. cap — of ice
  23. land — to come down
  24. tube — in a tire

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