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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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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: saw · staff · dip · ball · wave · track · toast · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. track — a song
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. staff — a stick
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. track — to keep track
  11. ball — a great time
  12. saw — the tool
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — employees
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. ball — a dance
  22. track — a path
  23. toast — bread
  24. dip — to sink

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