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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: hand · tear · net · key · roll · fan · fine · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. hand — in cards
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fine — all right
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. roll — a list
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. tear — from crying
  10. net — in sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. tear — to rip
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. net — for catching
  15. hand — help
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. net — after costs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. roll — a cake
  21. key — for a lock
  22. fine — high quality
  23. tear — from crying
  24. key — in music

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