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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 120 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. charge — electricity
  7. degree — from a university
  8. charge — in control
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. charge — a price
  12. bound — certain
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. degree — an amount
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bound — obliged
  18. can — a tin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rush — hurry
  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