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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lean — thin
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fall — the season
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rule — government
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bore — to drill
  24. trunk — of a tree

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