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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. craft — boats
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. drill — the tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rush — hurry
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. staff — employees
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. drill — army training
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. drill — a practice
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. staff — employees
  24. bat — the animal

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