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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. land — a country
  5. mate — a partner
  6. content — happy
  7. land — ground
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. land — to come down
  12. mate — a friend
  13. perch — the fish
  14. row — a line
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rule — government
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rule — a law
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. content — the amount
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. content — videos and posts

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