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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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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. face — to confront
  3. rash — a series
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. charge — in control
  8. lean — thin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — a price
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. face — part of the head
  14. net — in sport
  15. lean — to bend
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rash — hasty
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — to shout
  21. net — after costs
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. net — for catching
  24. deal — a big deal

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