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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — after costs
  6. last — final
  7. fall — the season
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. last — to go on
  10. suit — to fit
  11. shower — to wash
  12. last — finally
  13. shower — rain
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. staff — employees
  18. net — for catching
  19. staff — employees
  20. rest — a break
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. staff — a stick
  24. suit — clothes

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