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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. squash — to crush
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. chest — a box
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chest — of your body
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. leaves — lets stay

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