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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. present — the time now
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stock — shares
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — of the year
  12. stock — goods
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. file — a document
  20. cap — a lid
  21. present — there
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. file — a tool

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