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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — a thing
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — in a road
  10. object — to protest
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. last — to go on
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. present — a gift

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