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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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. net — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. net — after costs
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mug — to rob
  9. net — for catching
  10. cue — a hint
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lean — thin
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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