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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. drill — army training
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cap — of ice
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cap — a lid
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. charge — a price
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. charge — in control
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — electricity
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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