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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. land — ground
  4. key — in music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rash — hasty
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. land — a country
  13. key — for a lock
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. squash — the sport
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fork — in a road
  23. land — to come down
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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