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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lean — thin
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — money
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mug — a cup
  10. capital — a city
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mug — a face
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mug — to rob

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