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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mark — a grade
  5. court — of law
  6. mate — to breed
  7. court — for sport
  8. bass — low music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. row — a line
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. court — of a king
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fan — to cool the air

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