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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rash — a series
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — high quality
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rash — hasty
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. scale — in music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cue — for pool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fine — all right

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