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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fall — to drop
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — for catching
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fall — the season
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. content — happy
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. content — the amount
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cap — a lid
  24. leaves — of a tree

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