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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. net — for catching
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. net — in sport
  8. spring — a coil
  9. net — after costs
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lean — thin
  12. spring — of water
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. spring — the season
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — a supporter

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