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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
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: fan · fall · can · spring · rest · drill · bay · leaves

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. can — to be able to
  8. drill — army training
  9. spring — the season
  10. can — a tin
  11. spring — of water
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rest — a break
  22. can — a tin
  23. drill — a practice
  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