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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — boats
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. season — of the year
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mine — for digging
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pitcher — a jug

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