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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stand — to bear
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — the season
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — help
  11. suit — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. roll — a cake
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. hand — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fall — to drop

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