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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. present — a gift
  6. charge — a price
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. charge — in control
  13. cap — a hat
  14. charge — electricity
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fall — the season
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. present — there
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. present — the time now

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