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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tear — to rip
  6. drill — a practice
  7. kick — in football
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — army training
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. track — to keep track
  14. suit — to fit
  15. track — a song
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. suit — in cards
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. tear — from crying
  21. net — after costs
  22. track — a path
  23. suit — clothes
  24. net — for catching

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