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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wave — with your hand

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