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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — temperature
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. degree — from a university
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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