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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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 — to cool the air
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spell — a short time
  5. field — farmland
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — a path
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. track — a song
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spell — magic
  18. field — for sport
  19. spell — letters
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — to bend
  22. field — a subject
  23. lean — thin
  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