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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bass — the fish
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fall — to drop
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bass — low music
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fall — the season
  24. toast — bread

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