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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
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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: cap · safe · chair · fall · fan · lash · leaves · tube

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fall — to drop
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — a container
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cap — of ice
  24. safe — a strongbox

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