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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. land — to come down
  2. object — a thing
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. land — a country
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. object — an aim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. land — ground
  18. mine — for digging
  19. object — to protest
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. shower — to wash
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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