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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. file — a tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. key — in music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. key — the most important part
  12. file — a document
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — lets stay

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