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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. kick — in football
  11. game — a match
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. game — wild animals
  23. wind — moving air
  24. jam — a tight spot

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