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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tear — from crying
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lean — thin
  14. tube — a container
  15. fine — all right
  16. can — a tin
  17. tear — to rip
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tube — the underground
  22. degree — temperature
  23. can — a tin
  24. lean — to rest against

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