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

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — to come from
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. swing — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. swing — to play on
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. saw — the tool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stem — of a plant

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