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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: firm · wave · land · saw · spring · dip · charge · roll

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. dip — to sink
  3. charge — a price
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spring — of water
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. roll — a cake
  10. saw — the tool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. charge — in control
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. firm — a company
  18. spring — a coil
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. charge — electricity
  23. land — a country
  24. spring — the season

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