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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bank — of a river
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. suit — in cards
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. bound — obliged
  11. file — a document
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. suit — clothes
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — for money
  18. mine — for digging
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. leaves — to go away
  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