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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 124 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. land — to come down
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. present — the time now
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. land — a country
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — ground
  24. fan — a supporter

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