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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: land · arm · firm · present · wave · cap · fan · face

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. present — there
  3. face — to confront
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. land — ground
  7. firm — decided
  8. land — to come down
  9. face — to point toward
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cap — a lid
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. firm — steady
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. face — part of the head
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. firm — a company
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. land — a country
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. arm — a part of something

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