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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against 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. rash — hasty
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rash — a series
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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