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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wind — moving air
  4. suit — in cards
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. present — the time now
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wake — a trail
  12. present — a gift
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. drill — army training
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. present — there
  24. drill — the tool

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