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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. shower — to wash
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stand — to bear
  10. shower — rain
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. last — finally
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pit — a hole
  16. last — final
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. last — to go on
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stand — on your feet
  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