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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. club — for golf
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. roll — a cake
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. band — a ring
  9. fall — to drop
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fall — to drop
  12. band — a music group
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. kid — to tease
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. club — a group
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. foot — a measure
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. club — for dancing
  24. kid — child

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