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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 120 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: current · calf · march · fan · wake · suit · bat · coach

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. suit — in cards
  9. march — music
  10. suit — clothes
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. march — the month
  19. current — electric
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. calf — a young animal

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