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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.

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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: chair · bay · fall · wave · clip · plane · bowl · fan

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fall — to drop
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fall — the season
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. clip — a video

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