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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. object — an aim
  4. spell — a short time
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — letters
  9. can — a tin
  10. object — to protest
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chest — of your body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chest — a box
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spell — magic
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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