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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. net — in sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mine — for digging
  14. net — for catching
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — after costs
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. hand — help
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mate — to breed

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