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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. key — the most important part
  5. shower — rain
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stand — to bear
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. key — in music
  15. land — a country
  16. key — for a lock
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fan — a supporter

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