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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.

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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: fan · mate · wind · cabinet · kick · firm · drill · tear

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. drill — army training
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. tear — to rip
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wind — moving air
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. kick — in football
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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