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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 124 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. firm — a company
  4. field — for sport
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. field — farmland
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bank — for money
  19. chest — a box
  20. field — a subject
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fan — to cool the air

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