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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. hand — in cards
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fall — the season
  18. hand — help
  19. fall — to drop
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wake — before a funeral

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