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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 116 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. shower — rain
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. land — to come down
  7. bank — of a river
  8. land — a country
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bank — for money
  17. land — ground
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. kid — to tease
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lean — thin
  24. rule — government

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