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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. object — a thing
  5. branch — a division
  6. object — to protest
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stand — to bear
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. object — an aim
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — a price
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tear — from crying
  21. staff — a stick
  22. charge — in control
  23. staff — employees
  24. tear — to rip

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