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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cue — a hint
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cue — a signal
  10. spell — magic
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cap — of ice
  17. spell — letters
  18. fine — all right
  19. lean — thin
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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