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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 · pass · bay · snap · present · bound · hand · stock

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — certain
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hand — help
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. hand — in cards
  7. present — the time now
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bound — tied together
  10. present — there
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stock — goods
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. snap — to click
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. present — a gift
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. bound — obliged

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