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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
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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: toast · court · pass · wound · march · rush · mine · fan

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. toast — bread
  10. court — for sport
  11. march — the month
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wound — an injury
  17. march — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. rush — hurry
  23. march — the month
  24. rush — a thrill

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