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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. shower — to wash
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cue — for pool
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. lean — thin
  15. present — there
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — the time now
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. present — a gift

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