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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. race — the arms race
  5. swing — music
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rest — what's left
  11. land — to come down
  12. toast — bread
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. land — ground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rest — a break
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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