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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fall — the season
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mate — a partner
  8. prune — to trim
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. branch — a division
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mate — a friend
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fine — all right
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fine — high quality
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. prune — the fruit

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