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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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mate — a partner
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chest — a box
  8. mate — a friend
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mine — for digging
  11. chip — for betting
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mate — to breed
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — an explosive

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