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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. can — a tin
  9. capital — a city
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. capital — money
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. last — to go on
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. last — final
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. last — finally
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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