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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: wake · content · rush · fall · can · fan · club · mine

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. content — the amount
  10. club — a group
  11. wake — a trail
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. club — for golf
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. can — to be able to
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. content — happy
  22. fall — the season
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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