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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rash · racket · mark · leaves · stand · rush · mug

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mug — a face
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rush — hurry
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. rash — a series
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mark — a trace

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