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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mug — a face
  10. wound — an injury
  11. season — of the year
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mug — a cup
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. season — in sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fall — the season

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