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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fall — to drop
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lean — thin
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. lean — to bend
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fall — the season
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. trunk — of a tree

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