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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rock — music
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fall — the season
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wax — to grow
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stand — on your feet

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