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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. scale — in music
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rush — hurry
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fall — to drop
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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