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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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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bass — low music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mine — for digging
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. season — of the year
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bass — the fish
  19. season — in sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rest — what's left

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