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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — a video
  23. snap — to click
  24. craft — a skill

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