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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.

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: leaves · tear · hide · toast · saw · cabinet · fan · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pop — soda
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. tear — from crying
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pop — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. toast — bread
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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