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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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. stand — on your feet
  4. key — in music
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. key — the most important part
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bark — to shout
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wake — a trail
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fan — a supporter

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