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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — a gift
  17. pop — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. present — there
  20. pop — soda
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. present — the time now
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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