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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pit — a hole
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — in sport
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fall — to drop
  18. can — a tin
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fall — the season
  24. net — after costs

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