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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cue — for pool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. clip — for paper
  12. cue — a signal
  13. clip — a video
  14. rock — music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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