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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rest — a break
  3. can — a tin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cold — not warm
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rush — hurry

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