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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. club — for golf
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bank — for money
  10. row — a line
  11. club — a group
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bank — for money
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mate — a partner
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mate — to breed
  21. club — for dancing
  22. land — ground
  23. mate — a friend
  24. land — to come down

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