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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · chair · lean · leaves · march · fall · ruler · fan

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. fall — to drop
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — help
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — music
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lean — thin
  23. march — the month
  24. leaves — lets stay

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