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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fall — the season
  11. cue — a hint
  12. shower — rain
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — for pool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rest — a break
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. vault — a safe
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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