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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: wake · wind · chair · mine · fan · cue · staff · stand

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. staff — employees
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. staff — employees
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mine — for digging
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. staff — a stick

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