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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.

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 · wind · tube · firm · wave · court · mark · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. court — for sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. firm — a company
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. firm — decided
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. hand — in cards
  16. tube — a container
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. hand — help
  19. tube — the underground
  20. firm — steady
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mark — to pay attention

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