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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. firm — decided
  6. fall — the season
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. staff — a stick
  12. firm — steady
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ground — crushed
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. firm — a company
  17. ground — the earth
  18. staff — employees
  19. ground — a position
  20. staff — employees
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fall — to drop
  23. present — the time now
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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