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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — to crush
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. snap — to click
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. band — a music group
  15. current — of water
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tube — a container
  24. rush — hurry

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