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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — a division
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chest — of your body
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. chest — of your body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chest — a box
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. tear — to rip

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