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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fall — to drop
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rash — hasty
  6. scale — in music
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. charge — in control
  10. fine — high quality
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. charge — a price
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fine — all right
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rash — a series
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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