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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — all right
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. staff — employees
  11. fall — the season
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — high quality

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