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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 116 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: hand · march · fan · current · hide · pass · mate · mine

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. current — of water
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. current — electric
  10. mine — for digging
  11. current — happening now
  12. march — the month
  13. hand — help
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mate — to breed
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mate — a partner
  24. hide — animal skin

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