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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — a division
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. deal — to handle
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. firm — steady
  7. tube — a container
  8. hand — in cards
  9. march — the month
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. firm — decided
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. march — music
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. march — the month
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. firm — a company
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. tube — the underground
  24. hand — help

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