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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mug — to rob
  9. swing — in golf
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mark — a trace
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mug — a face
  15. tear — from crying
  16. swing — music
  17. tear — to rip
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. mark — a grade
  21. plane — a tool
  22. swing — to play on
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mark — to pay attention

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