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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. fall — the season
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fall — to drop
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — to come down
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fall — to drop
  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