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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 124 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fall — the season
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. track — a song
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lean — thin
  24. track — a path

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