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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rule — government
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rule — a law
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mate — a friend
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. land — to come down
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mate — to breed

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