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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 120 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fall — to drop
  11. suit — to fit
  12. charge — in control
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — to drop
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bank — for money
  18. suit — in cards
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bank — for money
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. charge — a price

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