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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — for money
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bank — for money
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wave — with your hand

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