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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. march — the month
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. dip — to sink
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — to go on
  7. object — a thing
  8. land — a country
  9. object — an aim
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. land — ground
  16. row — to paddle
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. row — a line
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. object — to protest
  22. land — to come down
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lie — an untruth

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