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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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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: mug · fan · face · stand · pass · rash · game · bank

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bank — for money
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bank — for money
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — a match
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. face — to confront
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mug — a face
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fan — to cool the air

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