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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. wake — a trail
  2. season — in sport
  3. kid — to tease
  4. board — to get on
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. net — in sport
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. snap — to click
  15. board — a committee
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. season — of the year
  22. kid — child
  23. net — after costs
  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