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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. swing — in golf
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — a series
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chest — of your body
  14. present — a gift
  15. ball — a great time
  16. swing — to play on
  17. present — there
  18. chest — a box
  19. swing — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ball — a dance
  24. present — the time now

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