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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. row — to paddle
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fall — the season
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — for light
  22. row — a line
  23. march — the month
  24. fan — to cool the air

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