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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fall — the season
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. charge — in control
  12. fall — to drop
  13. charge — a price
  14. scale — size or range
  15. degree — an amount
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — electricity
  19. degree — temperature
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cue — a hint
  23. scale — in music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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