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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. present — the time now
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. squash — to crush
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. spring — a coil
  14. face — to confront
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stand — to bear
  17. present — there
  18. face — to point toward
  19. spring — of water
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spring — the season
  22. face — part of the head
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. squash — the vegetable

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