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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. charge — in control
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. land — a country
  6. court — of law
  7. kick — in football
  8. charge — electricity
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — to come down
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. land — ground
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wound — an injury
  22. charge — a price
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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