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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rock — music
  7. fine — all right
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. root — of a word
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. root — the cause
  23. wind — moving air
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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