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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 not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. season — in sport
  5. land — a country
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. bound — certain
  12. land — ground
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ball — a great time
  18. land — to come down
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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