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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.

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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rock — music
  3. field — a subject
  4. tube — a container
  5. rock — a stone
  6. field — for sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rule — government
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. hand — help
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. field — farmland

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