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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rash — a series
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stand — to bear
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lean — thin
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — a tin
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. can — a tin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fall — the season
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bound — obliged
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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