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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 124 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fall — the season
  3. roll — a cake
  4. staff — employees
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rest — a break
  7. mark — a trace
  8. staff — employees
  9. mark — a grade
  10. march — music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. staff — a stick
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — a list
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month
  19. rest — what's left
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. march — the month
  24. fall — to drop

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