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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. land — to come down
  4. cap — a hat
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cap — a lid
  7. land — a country
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. current — electric
  10. bound — certain
  11. file — a document
  12. cap — of ice
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. land — ground
  16. file — a tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. current — happening now
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. file — a line of people
  23. current — of water
  24. wave — with your hand

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