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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. craft — boats
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. sharp — clever
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. march — music
  15. last — to go on
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. last — final
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. last — finally

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