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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cold — an illness
  4. spell — magic
  5. suit — clothes
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. staff — employees
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. staff — employees
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. suit — to fit
  21. tube — a container
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. wave — with your hand

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