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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. staff — employees
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. suit — clothes
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tube — a container
  12. prune — to trim
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tube — the underground
  19. prune — to trim
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — in cards
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. staff — a stick
  24. trunk — of a car

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