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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fine — all right
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. row — a line
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. charge — in control
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. land — to come down
  16. charge — a price
  17. land — a country
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. charge — electricity
  20. row — to paddle
  21. land — ground
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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