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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cap — a hat
  5. spell — a short time
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. spell — magic
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cap — of ice
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bound — certain
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spell — letters
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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