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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · bark · fan · wind · deal · cell

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cell — a phone
  18. deal — to handle

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