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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tube — a container
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the tool

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