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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chip — for betting
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — final
  11. tear — to rip
  12. last — to go on
  13. mark — a grade
  14. last — finally
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tear — from crying
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chip — to eat
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fan — a supporter

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