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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lean — thin
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cold — not warm
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. net — for catching
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. can — a tin
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lean — to bend
  20. board — to get on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cold — an illness
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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