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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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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rash — a series
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rash — hasty
  13. deal — to handle
  14. field — for sport
  15. firm — steady
  16. field — a subject
  17. firm — decided
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. field — farmland
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. firm — a company

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