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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. land — a country
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mate — to breed
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. land — to come down
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bass — low music
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. land — ground
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — a friend
  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