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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. capital — money
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fall — the season
  5. craft — a skill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. rock — music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fall — to drop
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. capital — a city
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. craft — boats

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