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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. club — a group
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. fall — to drop
  9. club — for golf
  10. rash — hasty
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rash — a series
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lean — thin
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fall — the season
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pit — in a race

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