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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. present — a gift
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. last — to go on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. last — final
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rash — a series
  19. present — there
  20. last — finally
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. present — the time now

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