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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mine · fan · bulb · chip · stick · row · coach

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. wave — with your hand
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bulb — for light
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fan — a supporter
  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