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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. track — a song
  4. rule — a law
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — a path
  13. kid — child
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rule — government
  18. lean — to rest against

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