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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. branch — a division
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — on your feet

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