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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. band — a ring
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. band — a music group
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bear — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. prune — to trim

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