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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — the month
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rock — music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fall — to drop
  12. court — of a king
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. court — of law
  15. rock — a stone
  16. can — to be able to
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bore — to tire
  19. court — for sport
  20. march — music
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. march — the month
  23. can — a tin
  24. fall — to drop

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