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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — the time now
  5. suit — to fit
  6. row — a line
  7. wind — moving air
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. present — there
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. suit — in cards
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. present — a gift
  24. fan — a supporter

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