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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. net — after costs
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a ring
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rule — government
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chip — for betting
  14. net — for catching
  15. rule — a law
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — in sport
  19. fine — all right
  20. band — a music group
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fine — high quality
  24. can — a tin

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