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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 is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tear — to rip
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. tear — from crying
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. land — ground
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. charge — a price
  11. tear — from crying
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. land — to come down
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. land — a country
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. snap — to click
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bay — a horse colour

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