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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mug — a face
  3. stock — shares
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mug — to rob
  9. face — to confront
  10. bass — the fish
  11. tube — a container
  12. bass — low music
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stock — goods

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