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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. tube — the underground
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. staff — employees
  6. cue — a hint
  7. staff — employees
  8. last — final
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cue — for pool
  11. last — finally
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cue — a signal
  17. last — to go on
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. staff — a stick
  21. tube — a container
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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