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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. firm — steady
  5. cell — a phone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cell — in biology
  12. face — to point toward
  13. swing — music
  14. pop — music
  15. face — to confront
  16. pop — soda
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. firm — decided
  21. swing — in golf
  22. firm — a company
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cap — of ice

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