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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. field — farmland
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. field — a subject
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. saw — the tool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. field — for sport
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rock — a stone
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bark — to shout

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