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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. last — to go on
  3. present — a gift
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. staff — employees
  8. last — finally
  9. wind — moving air
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. last — final
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bass — low music
  15. staff — a stick
  16. firm — a company
  17. bass — the fish
  18. firm — decided
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. firm — steady

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