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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rule — a law
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mark — a trace
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rule — government
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mark — a grade
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. ball — a dance
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. prune — the fruit

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