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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. club — for golf
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. club — a group
  10. ground — a position
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fall — the season
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rash — a series
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ground — the earth

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