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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. drill — army training
  5. race — humankind
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fall — the season
  8. spell — letters
  9. bore — to drill
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rush — hurry
  14. spell — magic
  15. race — a contest
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. spell — a short time
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. drill — a practice

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