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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rock — a stone
  8. land — ground
  9. ground — a position
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rock — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — to come down
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pop — music
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pass — a permit
  24. land — a country

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