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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. content — the amount
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rule — government
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. land — ground
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. land — a country
  23. rule — a law
  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