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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rash — a series
  7. suit — clothes
  8. kid — child
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fork — in a road
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. suit — to fit
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. suit — in cards
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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