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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · nail · dip · wave · land · spell · court · squash

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. squash — the sport
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. spell — magic
  8. dip — to sink
  9. court — of a king
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. land — to come down
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. court — for sport
  17. mine — for digging
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. squash — to crush
  21. spell — letters
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. court — of law

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