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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. dip — to sink
  3. squash — to crush
  4. chest — a box
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. degree — from a university
  7. chest — of your body
  8. staff — employees
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chest — of your body
  12. degree — temperature
  13. squash — the sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fine — all right
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. degree — an amount
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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