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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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. land — ground
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. land — to come down
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cap — a hat
  12. land — a country
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mug — to rob
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rule — government
  23. mug — a face
  24. root — the cause

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