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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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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: wave · land · chip · march · object · mark · squash · fall

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. land — ground
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chip — for betting
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. object — to protest
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fall — the season
  11. object — an aim
  12. chip — to eat
  13. march — the month
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. land — to come down
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. march — music
  21. land — a country
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. object — a thing

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