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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. game — a match
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. charge — a price
  11. march — the month
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. march — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. charge — in control
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — electricity
  21. game — wild animals
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. march — the month

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