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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 116 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: bay · bass · bat · file · fan · cell · bowl · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bass — low music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. file — a tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. file — a document
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cell — in biology
  24. file — a line of people

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