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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rock — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kick — in football
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rock — a stone
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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