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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bass — the fish
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wind — moving 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