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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lean — to bend
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. game — a match
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lean — thin
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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