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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. fall — the season
  4. suit — to fit
  5. row — a line
  6. bass — low music
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — the season
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bass — the fish
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fall — to drop
  19. club — a group
  20. suit — clothes
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  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