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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · field · last · hide · fall · tube · leaves · temple

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — the season
  5. last — to go on
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. field — farmland
  9. tube — a container
  10. field — for sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. field — a subject
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hide — to keep secret

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