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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pit — a hole
  7. scale — in music
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bore — to drill
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. snap — to click

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