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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.

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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fine — high quality
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — all right
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — a trainer

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