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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. court — of a king
  6. net — in sport
  7. current — of water
  8. net — for catching
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — happening now
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. current — electric
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. court — for sport
  20. fall — the season
  21. net — after costs
  22. court — of law
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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