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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. deal — to handle
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fall — the season
  24. tube — a container

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