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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. cap — a hat
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. craft — a skill
  12. club — a group
  13. cap — a lid
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. club — for golf
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. craft — boats
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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