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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tear — to rip
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. firm — a company
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tear — from crying
  8. firm — decided
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. firm — steady
  15. scale — size or range
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fork — in a road
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. prune — to trim
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. scale — in music
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fork — to eat with

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