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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: fan · kid · wave · firm · saw · mate · racket · rule

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mate — a friend
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kid — child
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mate — to breed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rule — a law
  19. mate — a partner
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. saw — the tool
  24. firm — steady

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