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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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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: cold · lean · leaves · nail · season · bay · fan · ground

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cold — an illness
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. season — of the year
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lean — thin
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. season — in sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ground — a position
  24. nail — for a hammer

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