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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. suit — in cards
  3. snap — to click
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. last — to go on
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. prune — to trim
  11. track — to keep track
  12. last — final
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pitch — completely
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. suit — to fit
  20. track — a song
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. track — a path
  23. last — finally
  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