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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. lean — thin
  4. land — a country
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spring — the season
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spring — of water

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