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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fine — all right
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. land — a country
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — ground
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. land — to come down
  24. wave — of the sea

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