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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chest — of your body
  5. present — a gift
  6. tear — from crying
  7. present — there
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fine — high quality
  11. chest — a box
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bass — low music
  16. present — the time now
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pass — a permit
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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