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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. object — to protest
  3. root — the cause
  4. spring — of water
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. spring — a coil
  9. object — a thing
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. object — an aim
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. root — of a word
  17. spring — the season
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wake — a trail
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wake — before a funeral

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