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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fall — to drop
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pound — a weight
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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