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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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Word bank
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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. spell — letters
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. dip — to sink
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. key — in music
  14. cold — an illness
  15. key — for a lock
  16. spell — a short time
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — magic
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cold — not warm

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