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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. field — a subject
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lean — thin
  22. field — for sport
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fall — to drop

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