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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spell — a short time
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. firm — a company
  7. spell — magic
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. tube — a container
  10. firm — steady
  11. spell — letters
  12. firm — decided
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. branch — a division
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fall — the season
  18. roll — a cake
  19. chair — a leader
  20. roll — a list
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fan — to cool the air

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