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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kick — in football
  11. fall — the season
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. squash — to crush
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — the time now
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — the sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hide — to keep secret

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