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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. net — for catching
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mine — for digging
  16. suit — in cards
  17. row — to paddle
  18. net — in sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. net — after costs
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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