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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
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: fine · mark · wind · fan · nail · jam · stem · club

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. fine — all right
  6. club — for golf
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mark — a grade
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. club — a group
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stem — to come from

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