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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. land — a country
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fall — the season
  13. march — music
  14. land — to come down
  15. march — the month
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. march — the month
  22. suit — to fit
  23. race — a contest
  24. suit — clothes

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