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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rash — a series
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stem — to come from
  14. tube — a container
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rash — hasty
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bowl — to roll

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