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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. net — after costs
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. net — for catching
  8. land — a country
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ground — the earth
  12. capital — a city
  13. land — ground
  14. rule — government
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — to come down
  20. net — in sport
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rule — a law
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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