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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. land — to come down
  5. pit — in a race
  6. present — there
  7. can — a tin
  8. chest — a box
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. land — ground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — a country
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bulb — for light
  17. can — a tin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. present — a gift
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wind — moving air
  24. present — the time now

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