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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cue — a hint
  3. land — to come down
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. current — of water
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mark — a grade
  8. land — a country
  9. current — electric
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cue — for pool
  12. current — happening now
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bound — tied together
  15. lean — thin
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. land — ground
  20. bound — certain
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lean — to rest against

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