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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. drill — the tool
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. object — to protest
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. drill — army training
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — a thing
  20. craft — a skill
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. craft — boats
  24. wind — moving air

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