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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · wind · track · pass · cue · jam · fan · tear

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. spell — a short time
  15. tear — from crying
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. track — a song
  19. spell — magic
  20. track — a path
  21. spell — letters
  22. tear — to rip
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. track — to keep track

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