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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mug — a cup
  7. land — ground
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rule — a law
  15. land — a country
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lean — to bend
  18. land — to come down
  19. rule — government
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rule — to rule out

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