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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ball — a great time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. ball — a dance
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. arm — part of the body

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