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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. mate — a friend
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fall — the season
  7. rock — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — a container
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — a gift
  20. net — after costs
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mate — to breed
  24. net — for catching

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