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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mate — a friend
  4. chest — a box
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. land — ground
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mate — a partner
  18. land — to come down
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mate — to breed
  21. land — a country
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bank — of a river
  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