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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. drill — army training
  5. spell — a short time
  6. row — a line
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bank — of a river
  9. row — to paddle
  10. drill — the tool
  11. spell — letters
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bank — for money
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — magic
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bowl — a football final

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