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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 · jam · wound · deal · fall · fine · lie · mouse

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. fall — the season
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — all right

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