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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. net — for catching
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — a hole
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. key — in music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. face — to confront
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cue — for pool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cue — a signal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cue — a hint

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