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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. chip — for betting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. row — a line
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. land — to come down
  13. chip — to eat
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. row — to paddle
  19. can — a tin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. land — a country
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. land — ground

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