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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. land — ground
  6. capital — money
  7. land — a country
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. spell — letters
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — to come down
  22. capital — a city
  23. spell — magic
  24. wave — of the sea

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