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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · track · mine · fan · bay · rest · kick · ground

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. track — a song
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. track — a path
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rest — a break
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. track — to keep track
  22. kick — in football
  23. ground — the earth
  24. tube — a container

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