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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. fall — the season
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. last — finally
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. can — a tin
  7. staff — employees
  8. cell — in biology
  9. last — final
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — a tin
  14. cell — a phone
  15. club — a group
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. can — to be able to
  22. last — to go on
  23. staff — a stick
  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