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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — the animal
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. land — to come down
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rock — music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. face — to confront
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. net — after costs
  14. craft — a skill
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rest — a break
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. net — for catching
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. craft — boats
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — the animal
  24. craft — a handicraft

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