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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rush — hurry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. plane — in geometry

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