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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. hand — help
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. drill — army training
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. hand — in cards
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mine — for digging
  21. drill — the tool
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pass — a permit

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