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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mate — to breed
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rule — a law
  13. rash — a series
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rule — government
  19. present — a gift
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mine — for digging

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