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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · fine · fan · hide · pound · fall

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. last — finally
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — to go on
  15. fine — all right
  16. last — final
  17. fine — high quality
  18. hide — to keep secret

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