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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fall — the season
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ground — crushed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ground — a position
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. row — a line
  24. fine — high quality

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