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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: can · fan · wind · pass · key · object · pit · shower

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. key — in music
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. key — the most important part
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — rain
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wind — moving air
  12. object — a thing
  13. can — a tin
  14. pit — in a race
  15. object — an aim
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — for a lock
  19. object — to protest
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. fan — to cool the air

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