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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bear — the animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. track — to keep track
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. shower — rain
  16. land — ground
  17. track — a song
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. track — a path
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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