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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — rain
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — a division
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fall — the season
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mate — a partner

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