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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.

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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: kid · fan · foot · fork · spell · fall · wave · field

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fall — to drop
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. field — for sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. field — farmland
  11. spell — a short time
  12. field — a subject
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. spell — letters
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — child
  22. spell — magic
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fall — the season

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