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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. last — to go on
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. last — finally
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — in football
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. field — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. last — final
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  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