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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mine — for digging
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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