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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — a gift
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cell — a phone
  14. land — ground
  15. craft — boats
  16. present — the time now
  17. prune — to trim
  18. present — there
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. prune — to trim
  21. toast — bread
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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