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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. land — to come down
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. land — ground
  6. fine — all right
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bore — to tire
  24. land — a country

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