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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. land — to come down
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. board — to get on
  5. march — music
  6. spell — a short time
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. land — a country
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. march — the month
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. land — ground
  22. spell — letters
  23. board — a committee
  24. spell — magic

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