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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chair — a leader
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rush — hurry
  11. snap — to click
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. sharp — clever
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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