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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. net — for catching
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — after costs
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. file — a document
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. file — a line of people
  16. face — to confront
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mate — to breed
  22. net — in sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — on your feet

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