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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. present — a gift
  4. land — a country
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. land — ground
  7. object — to protest
  8. hand — help
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. object — an aim
  11. hand — in cards
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. present — the time now
  15. object — a thing
  16. drill — a practice
  17. present — there
  18. key — in music
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. land — to come down
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. drill — army training
  24. key — for a lock

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