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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · wave · date · chest · ground · land · mug · board

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. board — to get on
  3. land — to come down
  4. rule — government
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chest — a box
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. land — a country
  9. rule — a law
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mug — to rob
  14. land — ground
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ground — a position
  20. date — the fruit
  21. board — a committee
  22. mug — a cup
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rule — to rule out

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