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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. land — to come down
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — thin
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. land — a country
  21. mate — a partner
  22. land — ground
  23. lean — to bend
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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