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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — a hat
  4. key — the most important part
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. key — in music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wave — of the sea

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