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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mate — a friend
  4. dip — to sink
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. spell — a short time
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mate — a partner
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hand — help
  15. board — a committee
  16. spell — magic
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spell — letters
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mate — to breed
  24. dip — to dunk

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