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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: can · rash · sharp · mine · bay · track · fan · mate

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rash — a series
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rash — hasty
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mine — for digging
  18. track — a path
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. can — a tin
  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