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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. root — the cause
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rash — hasty
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. root — of a word
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rash — a series
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mark — a trace
  24. season — to add flavour

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