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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. field — for sport
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — for money
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. dip — to sink
  9. land — to come down
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. field — farmland
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bank — of a river
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. land — ground
  20. squash — to crush
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. field — a subject

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