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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
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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: fan · bark · land · cell · wake · key · wave · craft

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cell — a phone
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. land — ground
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. key — in music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bark — to shout
  19. key — the most important part
  20. land — a country
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cell — in biology
  23. land — to come down
  24. craft — boats

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