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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rest — a break
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bank — of a river
  17. can — a tin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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