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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. prune — to trim
  7. suit — clothes
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mark — a trace
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mark — a grade
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. suit — to fit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. band — a ring
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. band — a music group

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