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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. land — a country
  3. pop — music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — to visit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pop — soda
  24. fan — a supporter

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