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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stand — to bear
  3. net — in sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a grade
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. last — to go on
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. net — after costs
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. last — final
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — finally
  22. net — for catching
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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