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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rock — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. firm — a company
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. row — a line
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — decided
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rock — a stone
  24. firm — steady

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