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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 120 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. club — for golf
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. club — for dancing
  9. firm — steady
  10. rush — hurry
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bat — the animal
  15. club — a group
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — a company
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. firm — decided
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. dip — to sink
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. dip — a sauce

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