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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tear — from crying
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tear — from crying
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tear — to rip
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — the season
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fall — to drop
  21. suit — clothes
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fan — to cool the air

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