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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. kid — child
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. tube — a container
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kid — to tease
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. charge — in control
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. charge — a price
  24. stem — to come from

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