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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. object — a thing
  10. key — for a lock
  11. object — to protest
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bank — for money
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. prune — to trim
  24. object — an aim

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