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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. land — to come down
  5. rash — a series
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. land — ground
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. saw — the tool
  24. land — a country

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