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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 120 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: fan · wake · deal · fine · nail · bowl · bat · present

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. present — there
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fine — high quality
  10. present — the time now
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bat — the animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. nail — for a hammer

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