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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rest — a break
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rest — what's left
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. key — in music
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lash — an eyelash

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