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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kick — in football
  7. band — a ring
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rest — a break
  10. band — a music group
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. club — for golf
  16. fine — all right
  17. club — for dancing
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. club — a group
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fan — to cool the air

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