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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — rain
  5. season — of the year
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wake — a trail
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bound — certain
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bound — obliged
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ground — a position
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. season — in sport
  24. face — to confront

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