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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bound — certain
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. saw — the tool
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fine — all right
  13. firm — a company
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fall — the season
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fall — to drop

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