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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bear — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. land — ground
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — for light
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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