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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wind — moving air
  8. date — the fruit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mine — for digging

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