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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pop — soda
  11. row — to paddle
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. row — a line
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — to visit
  18. tube — a container
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pop — music
  21. snap — to click
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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