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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bank — for money
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bank — of a river
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. can — a tin
  14. clip — to cut
  15. shower — rain
  16. can — a tin
  17. suit — clothes
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bank — for money
  23. clip — a video
  24. can — to be able to

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