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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. perch — the fish
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. net — after costs
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. net — in sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. net — for catching
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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