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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pass — a permit
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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