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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. land — ground
  2. band — a ring
  3. land — to come down
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rule — a law
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mug — a face
  11. band — a music group
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. mug — a cup
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rule — government
  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