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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: saw · deal · fan · wave · stick · present · mine · mate

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. present — the time now
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. present — a gift
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. present — there
  24. saw — the tool

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