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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. last — finally
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. can — a tin
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. land — to come down

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