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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. land — to come down
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cap — a hat
  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