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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: wave · lie · toast · land · stock · mug · prune · spell

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. spell — letters
  4. mug — a face
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. land — to come down
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spell — a short time
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. spell — magic
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stock — goods
  21. mug — to rob
  22. toast — bread
  23. land — ground
  24. lie — to recline

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