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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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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. mug — a cup
  8. file — a line of people
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rash — hasty
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. swing — music
  20. hand — help
  21. rash — a series
  22. board — a committee
  23. swing — in golf
  24. hand — in cards

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