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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fall — the season
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. object — to protest
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. spell — magic
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. object — a thing
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. spell — a short time
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — letters

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