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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fork — in a road
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kid — child
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. board — to get on
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. board — a committee
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lie — an untruth

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