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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tube — a container
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wind — moving air
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bear — the animal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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