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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rule — a law
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. root — of a plant
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — a container
  14. rest — what's left
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. row — a line
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lie — to recline
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — government
  24. rest — a break

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