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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: lie · toast · mark · wound · rule · pit · wave · land

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pit — in a race
  4. land — ground
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rule — a law
  8. land — to come down
  9. rule — government
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. land — a country
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lie — an untruth

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