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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a line
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rush — hurry
  17. land — to come down
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. row — a quarrel

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