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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: pit · charge · lean · fan · fall · straw · rule · track

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fall — the season
  3. lean — thin
  4. charge — in control
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. charge — electricity
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rule — a law
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fall — to drop
  18. charge — a price
  19. lean — to bend
  20. track — a song
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rule — government
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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