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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rule — government
  8. tube — the underground
  9. face — part of the head
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mine — for digging
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. tube — a container
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fine — all right
  20. rule — a law
  21. face — to confront
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fork — to eat with

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