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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — the month
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. march — the month
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. charge — in control
  14. march — music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. charge — a price
  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