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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — rain
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rest — a break
  15. bank — of a river
  16. shower — to wash
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pass — to spend time

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