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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fall — the season
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. deal — to handle
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — to get on
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bark — to shout
  16. board — a committee
  17. snap — to click
  18. mate — a partner
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. fan — a supporter

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