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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. firm — decided
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. swing — to play on
  12. hand — help
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. firm — steady
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. swing — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — in golf
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. firm — a company
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. tube — a container
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. hand — part of the body

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