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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. net — after costs
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. charge — in control
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — electricity
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. charge — a price
  22. fall — to drop
  23. suit — clothes
  24. fall — the season

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