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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. race — the arms race
  4. land — ground
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rash — a series
  10. race — humankind
  11. land — to come down
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. can — to be able to
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. can — a tin
  21. staff — employees
  22. race — a contest
  23. rash — hasty
  24. date — the fruit

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