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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. current — of water
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — size or range
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. scale — in music
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. band — a ring
  16. current — electric
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. current — happening now
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. band — a music group
  22. snap — to click
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. band — a rubber band

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