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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. key — in music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tear — to rip
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. tear — from crying
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bulb — for light
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bulb — for light

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