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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wake — a trail
  3. present — a gift
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. race — a contest
  8. net — for catching
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — in sport
  15. present — there
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mug — a face
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. race — humankind
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — after costs
  23. fall — the season
  24. kick — with a leg

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