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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 116 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. land — a country
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. land — to come down
  5. kid — child
  6. land — ground
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. charge — in control
  10. kick — in football
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. charge — a price
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. last — final
  24. perch — the fish

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