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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bank — of a river
  3. can — a tin
  4. cold — an illness
  5. wound — an injury
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cold — not warm

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