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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: root · firm · rule · bear · season · lash · fan · fall

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. firm — decided
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rule — government
  8. season — in sport
  9. root — the cause
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bear — the animal
  12. firm — steady
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. root — of a word
  16. firm — a company
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. season — of the year
  21. rule — a law
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bear — the animal

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