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

Word bank: suit · wave · wind · wake · cell · object · land · deal

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. object — to protest
  4. cell — in biology
  5. land — to come down
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wind — moving air
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. land — a country
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. object — a thing
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. object — an aim
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cell — a phone
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wake — a trail

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