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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. field — farmland
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lean — thin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. can — a tin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. field — a subject
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. field — for sport
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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