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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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rash — a series
  7. season — of the year
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rash — hasty
  10. tube — a container
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — a hole
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fall — the season
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. season — in sport
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pit — in a race
  24. sharp — clever

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