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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.

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: tear · ground · wave · present · lean · mate · saw · fan

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. present — the time now
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ground — a position
  5. mate — to breed
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. present — there
  16. ground — the earth
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mate — a partner
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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