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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. date — the fruit
  3. land — a country
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. toast — bread
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. land — ground
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. land — to come down
  24. toast — the most admired

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