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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.

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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — low music
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — a list
  7. lie — to recline
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. staff — employees
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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