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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 116 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: wake · fall · ball · rush · fan · cold · club · pass

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fall — the season
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. club — for golf
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cold — an illness
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ball — a dance

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