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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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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: trunk · fan · stand · fall · snap · stick · bore · staff

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stand — to bear
  4. staff — employees
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bore — to tire
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. snap — to click
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fall — the season
  21. staff — employees
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fall — to drop

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