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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rule — a law
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. shower — rain
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rule — government
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rest — a break
  19. degree — temperature
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. degree — an amount

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