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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. shower — rain
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fall — the season
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. squash — to crush
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. shower — to wash
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. fall — to drop
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fan — a supporter

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