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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. land — to come down
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bound — tied together
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bound — certain
  7. land — a country
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. season — in sport
  11. land — ground
  12. bound — obliged
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — of the year

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