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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. land — a country
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. land — ground
  8. kick — in football
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. land — to come down
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wound — an injury
  16. press — to push
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. craft — boats
  19. fine — high quality
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. press — newspapers
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. leaves — to go away

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